This article was originally published in May 2022
Using a combination of traditional and contemporary practices, a new generation of Indigenous artists, whose heritage comes from as far away as the Torres Strait and Tiwi Islands, is creating pieces that are turning up in galleries and collectors’ homes. Here are eight creators, including Amy Saunders (featured above), to put on your radar.
Tyrown Waigana
For his commercial work and graphic design, he digitally creates contemporary and traditional Indigenous artwork, but Tyrown Waigana’s painting and sculpture sees him exploring surreal situations and escaping reality. Bold colours and abstract characters dominate these works. He’s also an animator, making shorts about the people in his life and what he observes.
Born and raised near Fremantle in Western Australia, Tyrown’s heritage is Wardandi Noongar, from south-west WA, and Ait Koedal, who are the people of Saibai Island in the Torres Strait. “My culture has influenced my career because it’s steeped into everything I do,” he says.
You might have seen his work before. His design won the 2020 National NAIDOC Week competition, and he created a 22-metre-long balcony artwork for the Australian Pavilion at the 2021 Dubai Expo with Emirati artist Khalid Mezaina.
Amy Saunders
Although she’s always created paintings and taken inspiration from the family members around her – her grandmother Faith, as well as her aunties, uncles and cousins – Biripi woman Amy Saunders only began making art for others after she hosted a workshop at her son’s school.
Now, she works mainly on canvas – her overriding style uses neutral colour palettes for her art pieces – but she also draws, sews and makes puzzles when she has the time, and has had her designs printed onto baby bibs. Amy works on Darkinjung land (the NSW Central Coast), where she creates the many commissioned pieces that you can check out on her Instagram page.
Like most artists, Amy has worked hard to get her creative career to this point. “My art is about teaching my culture and expressing myself,” she’s said in the past. “It’s colourful, it’s different, and for a long time I didn’t paint, I didn’t feel connected to my family or culture and I wasn’t supported with the art and business vision I had.”
These days, she’s often busy creating special pieces for her clients, so keep an eye out for when she is open to accepting new commissions.
SEE ALSO: Celebrating the Creative Process with Bayley Mifsud
Kamara Morgan
"I grew up around my culture and watching my family paint,” says Kamara Morgan, “which has led me to pick up a paint brush and tell my stories, our stories. When I paint I feel an even stronger connection to my ancestors and my culture."
The Yorta Yorta/Gunai-Kurnai/Dja Dja Wurrung woman, who now lives in Naarm (Melbourne), creates incredibly detailed paintings that tell stories of tradition, culture, family and country.
Her artworks are also included on a range of rugs at Emro Designs, a First Nations-owned and operated homewares business.
Cungelella Art
When she wanted to share her culture through art, Glenda McCulloch set up Cungelella Art. That was in 2019 and over time her three sisters – Jaunita, Dale and Cheryl – joined her. Cheryl found herself at Glenda’s home, talking to her as she worked in the studio, so it seemed a natural progression to help out, then begin painting her own pieces. Then Jaunita and Dale joined in too.
The move proved to be an excellent one; not only did it allow the Kalkadoon women to expand the business as demand increased, but it gave them the opportunity to work closely together.
Their traditional homelands, Kalkatungu country in the Mount Isa region of Queensland – where the four sisters still live – are well represented in the art they create. Look closely and you can see the rugged ranges, red dirt, native animals and the spinifex and eucalypts. Often the colour palette of a piece includes shades of pink. “The pastel pinks we use are from our beautiful sunsets we get out here,” says Glenda. “And a lot of the rock formations out here have pink, clays and nice pastel colours through them. Also the colour of the earth comes in all shades ranging from deep reds through to pinks and light browns.”
On the Cungelella Art website you’ll find both original art and prints for sale, alongside collaborations with Infamous Swim, – which uses the women’s artwork on swimwear, kimonos and accessories – Deadly Denim , and Yogat. More recently, Cungelella has broadened its horizons and is soon to launch a fashion range called Myrrdah that’s already been featured in Vogue Australia.
Luana Towney
She is a Palawa/Wiradjuri woman now living in lutruwita (Tasmania), and Luana Towney’s talents include painting, jewellery making, basket weaving and sewing. Study her work and you’ll see cultural connections to the ocean – not surprising, since her great, great, great grandmother Fanny Cochrane Smith was born on Flinders Island and Luana herself now lives on truwana (Cape Barren Island).
Luana also wrote Muwinina Country, a travelling book for children about the First Nations people of nipaluna (Hobart), written in both English and palawa kani, the current language of Tasmania’s Indigenous people.
“It is really empowering to be able to learn our language,” Luana told the Indigenous Literacy Foundation when Muwinina Country was released. “So much was taken when the invaders came and colonised lutruwita, or Tasmania, and lots of people were not allowed to speak language. And, of course, lots of our people died as well, so lots of our language was lost.
“To be able to learn my language and my culture is really special and empowering. To be able to teach my children, that makes me feel really proud. Then to be able to share that with the wider community, and let them know about our language. It is a really amazing feeling.”
SEE ALSO: Getting Started with Deadly Denim
Kiewa Austin-Rioli
Her name is famous in sporting circles – dad Dean Rioli played football for Essendon and grandad Jock Austin launched what became Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation (MAYSAR) in Fitzroy in 1982 (not to mention her uncle is Lionel Rose) – but Kiewa Austin-Rioli chose to pursue a creative path.
Kiewa launched Sweet Water Art from her nan’s spare bedroom in mid-2020 when she was just 19 years old, with the Gunditjmara/Tiwi Islands artist producing an affordable range of t-shirts, stickers, cards and tote bags, many of them ally friendly (meaning they can be worn or used by people who are non-Indigenous).
Her work has also been recognised by organisations for whom she’s designed artwork to launch their reconciliation action plans. Kiewa also designed the Indigenous jersey for the Melbourne University Soccer Club.
Cassie Leatham
She’s been making art most of her life, inspired by both the traditional ways of her people and more contemporary artistic methods. “At a young age, I explored with different mediums in art and explored bushland,” Taungurung/Dja Dja Wurrung artist Cassie Leatham has said. “Doing this I connected to my culture and still to this day I’m always out on Country exploring and building on my knowledge.”
Cassie is a painter, but also a master weaver whose work appears in a number of large art galleries and institutions in Victoria, including the National Gallery of Victoria. But that’s not where her talent ends; as part of her company, Wild Blak Arts, she is also a fashion and jewellery designer, traditional dancer and bush-tucker woman.
One of her most important roles though is as an educator who facilitates cultural programs for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. “I facilitate workshops in all different mediums and using traditional skills I have taught myself,” she says. “I teach in schools all over Australia and travel to other Indigenous communities to do cross culture exchange, which has been very successful.”
Cassie can be commissioned to create individual pieces of art, and you can see her latest work at the Wild Blak Arts Instagram page.
Tay Williams
It’s easy to see where Gomeroi/Mandandanji artist Tay Williams gets her inspiration. Her mum, Kaliela Thornton, is also an accomplished painter, who has her own business Maaya-li Dhawun Creations.
And while Tay paints when she has time, her business, Baayangali Inspirations, focuses on weaving to create jewellery and one-off commissions. She takes coloured grasses and turns them into woven earrings inspired by her culture. For instance, light blue pieces in an oblong shape are inspired by the coolamons used to carry gali (water).
More recently, Tay’s been thinking about fast fashion and its disposal into landfill, and has begun cutting up her own old clothes to weave into different creations.
